This photo was posted on the Social Distance Powwow Facebook page. Fourfeathers’s face seems to hold a thought captive. Was he going to say something to the photographer? What is he thinking? Would I even understand as a non-Indigenous person? What do the different pieces of regalia represent? Did the photographer take this pre-pandemic but posted now lamenting the loss of tribal gatherings? So many questions to such a beautiful photograph. You keep on representing Elvin. Teach us all.

These items are a sampling of documents and links to news articles and public event dates that chronicle the reopening of some parts of the United States in spring 2021. One year after the start of the pandemic (the anniversary itself celebrated in various media), Texas and other parts of the U.S. were trying to return their businesses and services to more normal conditions. A community college's plan for reopening its main campus, a news article about a baseball park increasing its capacity (and having a sold out game), a listing of 2021 tour dates for popular musicians, and a town's decision to end its mask mandate all tell the story of people wanting to return to normal living. However, both government leaders and ordinary people could disagree about whether it was good to relax COVID restrictions as the announcement by a local mayor and the decision of a local school board suggests. These items reflect the challenges of returning to Pre-COVID lifestyles because not everyone was united in the belief that it was safe to live normal lives. This illustrates the interesting conflict between holding on to what makes people be or feels safe and those who believe such restrictions are unnecessary now.

Indigenous artist, Nayana Lafond, painted this piece as part of the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls (MMIWG) exhibition. The exhibit was designed to advocate for these missing women and to stop the violence against Indigenous women. On her website, Lafond features "Kimberly in Red" with the following description, "Kimberly LaRouge, Ojibwe from Lac Courte Oreilles Wisconsin. Mother, grand mother, motorcycle racer, traditional jingle dancer and badass." I would encourage everyone to visit Lafond's website and view her powerful and emotional art pieces.

Social Distance Powwow is a Facebook page created so Indigenous Peoples can virtually powwow together. Bear Cadman, a member of Dine Nation, submitted this photo of him and wrote "Prayers for all nations. Prayers for peace and healing. Love will win. Prayers for all of you the 5 finger nation."

In this podcast, Philip Wolf discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the food service industry with restaurant owners Oura and Kymon Giakoumakis. Their restaurant resides at a golf course, so during the winter they saw a drop in patronage and are hoping to start patio service soon so business can pick up again. They did adapt to take-out service and a "parking lot patio" in order to provide service in safe ways, but they still struggled with the requirements and monetary challenges that the pandemic has caused. In this podcast they also discuss other local restaurants, layoffs, and closures, giving a clear view of how Vancouver Island, and specifically the district of Saanich, has adapted during this time.

Rapid City, South Dakota is suffering from a lack of applicants for service industry jobs as tourism increases ahead of Memorial Day. While the reason for this lack is not confirmed, locals have been theorizing that due to the high rate of exposure in service industry jobs, people are restraining from applying in order to stay safe during this summer as travel is increasing again. There is also a population coming from other countries that receives visas in order to travel to Rapid City and work service positions, but since there is still a hold on international travel, they are not coming either. For those who are looking to hire, they are all in competition with each other, since many of the open positions require the same skill set. This has all added up to panic amongst business owners, as they are likely going to be operating with a much smaller staff, but with normal (if not larger) crowds of tourists this summer.

Heard, a local organization in San Antonio, Texas, set up a COVID-19 vaccine clinic specifically for service industry workers. This is absolutely essential, as Texas has opened restaurants to full capacity, putting servers at an extreme risk of exposure. While spaces for the April 15th clinic were limited, by only allowing service industry employees to reserve a vaccine, they allowed individuals to protect themselves sooner by getting vaccinated.

Medical experts and LGBT advocates are sounding the alarm over the physical and mental health risks to the transgender community after at least 19 state legislatures, including Arkansas, have proposed or passed bills seeking to ban trans youth treatment. Proponents of the bills have argued that the legislation is in place to protect children from making irreversible decisions about their bodies. But earlier this week, doctors and LGBT organizations defended treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, and warned about a potential increased suicide rate among trans youth if such legislation is enacted.

The mother of Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man shot dead by a Minnesota police officer at a traffic stop, said she "wants 100% accountability" in the wake of the officer's arrest. "If that even happens, we're still going to bury our son," Wright's mother, Katie Wright, said at a Thursday news conference. "We're still never going to be able to see our baby boy."

Police in Chicago, Illinois, clash with protesters during demonstrations for 13-year-old Adam Toledo following the release of the police body camera footage.

The march was largely peaceful, but as it came to an end around 10 p.m., a small group of protesters still lingering in the streets began scuffling with police.

Gardening is something I learned I loved in the spring of 2019, and I noticed many differences during the pandemic. The garden centers were always busy, much busier than the year before. And often, they would be sold out of things such as vegetables. The article I have shared here I found while researching food insecurity. I have long thought that growing your own food is something that should be more widespread, especially among places of poverty. Of course, this article does not mention the fact that people living in extreme poverty barely have enough water to survive, let alone grow crops with. Regardless, this article makes good points about our soil, our diets, and the future of our planet and species. I think one good consequence of the pandemic is more people will turn to gardening, which opens up many more aspects of life.

Feeding America released briefs in March of 2020, one for food insecurity locally and one nationally due to the pandemic. I have attached the national brief. This is relevant to my research on the consequences of the pandemic. The briefing looks back to 2019 and 2020 and compares notes on food insecurities. Feeding America reviews this and discusses the future of food insecurities. It also talks about how race effects food insecurity, which is something that needs to be talked about.

This article tells us about wildlife, specifically birds, during the pandemic. As many other animals were, birds were a lot more active when the lockdown began. Some many see this as a good thing but this article goes into detail about the good and bad things that happened to birds during the pandemic. This article is important because it addresses a topic not many people think is important and gives more in depth into this side of nature.

This article is an article about the penguins in Cape Town. During the lockdown of the pandemic many animals were seen roaming the streets and some of them were penguins in Cape Town. This article explains what the penguins were doing and shows how the pandemic changed wildlife.

This is a photograph of a UV light box for sanitizing items that may have been infected with COVID. This professional and stylish looking box was a long time coming. In late spring 2020, as summer was approaching, the CDC and leading doctors announced that the UV rays in sunlight killed the Coronavirus on surfaces within minutes. This led people to hang their masks in their car windows, and leave things outside to sanitize them. It was also believed to be safer to be outside on a sunny summer day because the sunlight would kill the COVID virus in the air and on objects. This primitive method is not available all the time and cannot be taken inside though, so companies created various products that produced UV light that were portable and could be used inside. While a late bloomer to the UV trend, this is a perfect example of the use of UV light against COVID. As you can see from the descriptive packaging, any small items, especially phones, can be put into the box, and after 10 minutes will be sanitized. Great care was taken to point out its effectiveness as seen in the "kills 99.9% of germs" and "laboratory proven technology" statements on the front of the package. Of course, it's not just useful but is discreet and stylish as it looks like a purse or a make-up bag. This item is important because it shows the lengths people went to try and keep their things clean. It also shows the power of fads during Corona. Everyone jumped at the chance to try UV light when it was first announced, yet it decreased in importance for most people after summer 2020. Like all the Corona Culture products, it reveals the depth to which Corona became imbedded into the U.S.'s consciousness.

This is a small story from my dad, a CBSA officer in Calgary Alberta. He collects and commissions challenge coins for his workplace, which has quickly become his main hobby over the pandemic, trading these coins with officers across Canada and America. The PDF document is his own description of what this coin is, what it represents and why it is so important to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the city of Calgary, cancelling for the first time in it's history, the 'greatest outdoor show on Earth,' the Calgary Stampede. This event is intrinsic to Calgary's identity, a show which celebrates the ranching and agricultural roots of this city and ultimately this province. The Calgary stampede boasts chuckwagon races, agricultural expos, overpriced yet famous mini-doughnuts and provincial art exhibits and much, much more - it's one of the few times a year where it's socially acceptable to dress up like a cowboy or cowgirl.

As much as there are "reopening schools" supporters, there are about as much hesitant to do so. You might hear the hesitations from concerned parents and children, but school employees experience it as well. Schools are typically crowded and people are in close quarters at almost all times of the day. Although California regulations are to remain 3-6 feet apart in and out of classrooms, it continues to be a difficult challenge. Moreover, such precautions might lessen the spread but they're not guaranteed. This is where aid funds in the form of stipends come in. These stipends are displays of gratitude, used as an incentive and, unfortunately, hazard pay. More than $2 billion will be distributed across 42 K-12 school districts in the San Diego region. Stipends vary, however. There are one-time stipends for Lakeside school district teachers who have taught since October 1, 2020 of $450 to $900. Special education teachers in the same district will receive more, about $500 to $1000. Despite the incentives, there is an ongoing conflict over who is eligible for the stipend (to my personal surprise). One argued that only employees returning to campus are eligible, while there was a debate over whether those teaching since Fall 2020 should even be compensated for. If this were the criteria, it should simply be an incentive to return as the act of “being appreciative” would not exclude any teachers who have and will continue to work during the pandemic.

Northern Illinois University and an Early Childhood Transformation Team developed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker will work together to make getting vaccinations more obtainable. The primary goal for this movement is to make the process simpler. Most of the article refers to those in the child care industry, though. Pritzker intends to make it more accessible. Child care services have been struggling throughout the pandemic, and Pritzker has been trying to turn things around. Federal aid of $1.6 billion was allocated "to expand access to high-quality early childhood education and childcare for children and families across the state." Every demographic is to be included — children of color, children with disabilities, among others.

The Golden state only recently received news that “50% of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine." It’s progress and it’s most certainly hope. What gives people even more hope is how they expanded vaccination eligibility to 16 and over as of April 15. Schools are already reopening, but this is good news for those who are still hesitant to return — and for good reason. What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult? One of the most obvious answers is the size of the state. Its population was recorded to be over 39 million in 2020. Even with an increase in vaccines, with roughly 2.4 million doses in the first week of April alone, it was not enough to accommodate even the 50-64 age group — a population of roughly 7.2 million. Santa Clara County Executive Officer, Jeff Smith, was also quoted to have cited the state's governor for perpetuating the pandemic — that his pandemic approach was “disorganized and petulant.” Although affordable healthcare services is a nationwide pandemic in and of itself, California also deals with fragmented healthcare responsibilities. Distribution is “split up among 58 county governments.” Issues in communication, planning and transportation of vaccines are all major factors impacted by the overwhelming lack of unified leadership. https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1383132361148100609 https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/01/as-california-expands-covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-to-all-californians-50-governor-newsom-receives-vaccine-in-los-angeles/

This is a screenshot from the Black Alberta Instagram page about the passing of Dr. Wayne John Edwards to COVID-19, as the description stated: "Dr. Wayne John Edwards is the seventh Albertan health-care worker - and the second doctor to die from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Alberta Health. Edwards died at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge on Tuesday at the age of 66. #BlackAlberta #YEG #YYC #edmonton #calgary #alberta #albertacanada #calgaryalberta #edmontonalberta #albertacanada🇨🇦" According to the comments of the post, Dr. Edwards was a respected and beloved family psychiatrist, the comments were full of love and respect for Dr. Edwards, he will surely be missed.

Living in the pandemic, I have seen my generation grow stronger together as we stand for the injustices occurring in this country. We have spread our ideologies onto social media to spread the message of unity and social justice to prevent further innocent lives from being taken. No violent or oppressive remark goes unseen or unheard of given the word is quickly spread around with social media. Living in the pandemic has allowed the spread of such powerful messages of unity and standing up for what is right to reach every corner of the country. While eating at a local restaurant in Downtown Phoenix, a small yet powerfully loud crowd of BLM protesters passed the location. Watching in awe and feeling some sort of empowerment, it came to my realization of how much these young adults’ voices have spread across the country. Watching the traumatic stories regarding George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (among the thousands of black lives that have been taken by police and civilian brutality over the past couple of decades), I began to fear for the safety of the black communities living in areas that began to pose threats for them. Similarly, I have watched and supported the protests against Asian American violence becoming very recurrent lately and have seen young adults like me speak out against it. Although I am a minority myself, I cannot understand the pain these families go through, but I surely stand by and support these communities. Watching this protest before me made me realize how powerful the second-youngest generation (Gen Z) has grown to be and will continue to blossom as we continue to stand with unity against oppression let it be against race or religion. Although this pandemic has physically separated us, it has also brought many minority communities to come closer and support each other with the hope of one day ending these targeted tragedies.

With all of the controversy in my state about our new Social Studies state standards about bringing in more diversity I see that we need to educate more people about the diversity that is in front of every student no matter their background because no matter what you do in life you will meet and interact with people that are not like yourself. I saw this article that gives teachers and parents some ideas on how to help kids unlearn gender identity and sexual orientation bias. Here are the three things you can do: 1. Prioritize Social-Emotional Learning 2.Introduce LGBTQ Characters, Works, and Historical Figures. 3.Start Easy, Start Small. Read the article for more information within these tips.

Clinical trials for HIV vaccines have been overwhelmingly successful with a 97% success rate at stimulating the production of rare immune cells which could lead to vaccines in the future. The COVID-19 vaccine has led to the increased development of m-RNA dosed vaccine which is also found in many other vaccines. By producing the COVID-19 vaccine has led to much more funding and research into the mRNA vaccine field which will bring about new changes in medicine in the future.

Native Alec BigCanoe posted a photo of himself wearing his father's regalia on the Social Distance Powwow Facebook page. He looks forward to powwows starting again.

CVS changed COVID-19 vaccination registration form to be more trans/ LGBTQ friendly. Originally, the form asked people to mark their birth sex in order to get the vaccine however, now they have removed the question. The CDC has come out and said it is important to only ask about the gender identity not the gender on the birth certificate. CVS has issued a statement stating that sex, gender, race, or ethnicity does not hinder people from getting the vaccine.

This is a photo of the first mask I bought/used when the pandemic began. I bought this mask a few months into the pandemic however, as I didn't feel comfortable leaving my house in the early days, I think I bought this around April 2020 if I'm not mistaken. I remember I was at Wal-Mart as my dad told me that they were selling masks there, at the time there was a shortage of masks and people were panic buying. I remember stores were packed, and people were almost exclusively buying toilet paper - I seriously think that's probably the weirdest part of the pandemic, people were also scalping toilet paper on Facebook marketplace, it was like a secondary currency (Not really but it was a precious resource apparently). They were selling masks at the register, in plastic bags for $1.49 I think; in all honesty I think I would of been better off not buying the mask but the atmosphere of panic kind of made me feel like an idiot for not having a mask. When I opened it up in my car I realized it was literally just a cut up black T-shirt; it was transparent, it didn't wrap around your face, it just hung there. Me being an idiot, I used it for a good solid month, it's a miracle I didn't catch COVID-19. I can't believe that they would sell that to people in Wal-Mart, I mean I think I was one of the only people who bought one so I can't be too upset; but still, people were desperate for any semblance of protection, and such a mega-corp like Wal-Mart felt fine profiting off of those anxieties. I'm not trying to insinuate that they should care, because they didn't get rich by being ethical.

This article is about the government's assistance to help Native Americans and Alaska natives combat COVID-19. The Biden administration announced that they will put $4 billion of assistance. The money will be used for things like testing, treatment, and vaccines for these indigenous populations. This is critically important as the CDC announced that Native American and Alaskan Native populations are up to 3.5x more likely to contract COVID-19 than white people. One of the things that the article also notes is that confidence in getting the vaccine will also be an important factor in diminishing that 3.5x number. Efforts to educate specific populations on the vaccine will help the money, but there is a lot of work still to be done.

This article is about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine shots will likely require follow-up booster shots. The executives of both companies announced that it is likely that people that received the vaccine will need their first booster shot within 12 months of receiving the vaccine, then possibly yearly shots afterward. At the end of the article it does note that the Pfizer vaccine is still 93.1% effective 6 months after the vaccine and Moderna reports 90% effective after the 6 month period. However it still seems that we will have to receive booster shots, which is no big deal unless people have the side effects that they had from the original vaccine. This would absolutely prevent many people from following through or even receiving the original vaccine.

India has seen an explosion in their reported infection numbers recently. This Medscape article explained that India has recently crossed the 200,000 daily infections mark which puts India as the highest infection rate in the world. The article then explained how at India's largest Covid facility, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, they are past full capacity. It is so bad that they are putting two unrelated patients in the same bed to maximize their patient capacity. This is truly unimaginable! The hospital's medical director, Suresh Kumar, expressed that it is the new variants and human behavior that has caused the recent spike in numbers. Hopefully this is not a preview for what is in store for the rest of the world.

This is a news story about some of the solutions to homelessness that people are trying in Phoenix. The specific solution covered was tenting for homeless people as a way to provide more protection and layers during COVID. It's especially important that this was a solution done in Phoenix considering how hot it gets here. With tents being the main way to "help the homeless" during COVID it shows a continued general disregard for homeless people and their health and safety. The article goes on to discuss broader criticisms and issues people have taken with the COVID-19 response specifically for homeless populations. I wanted to include this source because it shows a general disregard for homeless populations especially in the face of a pandemic that they are the most vulnerable population for.

This news article is about how COVID and homelessness have disproportionately affected families and especially black women. These are the two groups who are most likely to be benefitting from the rent moratorium right now. And as a result, they will be the groups most in danger of losing their housing once the moratorium expires. I wanted to include this story because it provides a perspective on homelessness that goes beyond people currently experiencing homelessness. People who are taking advantage of the moratorium are essentially on the verge of homelessness because they have no way to pay back that rent. This story highlights the fragile housing market and the economic situation that COVID placed many families under and the long-term economic consequences that come from this situation.

VACCINE FEARS, THE TROLLEY PROBLEM

what impact covid 19 has had on my son

Huge problems for Biden

Arizona Department of Education fiscal information and guidance pertaining to attendance and absences while students participate in distance learning. The guidance page also includes links to important forms, school finance reports, and other valuable external resources. According to the report, the due date for a financial plan (Budget/AFR) is November 13, 2020. The name of the file is, "Distance Learning Report -Actual". No recent updates appear to have been made.

Arizona Department of Education authorizes distance learning with the passage of Executive Orders 2020-41, 2020-44, 2020-51. Students that are participating in online instruction "...shall be treated as pupils participating in Arizona Online Instruction for funding purposes." In this context, COVID-19 has impacted, on an economic level, the fabric of everyday life- down to gathering statistical data and reporting student attendance for online education for the purpose of funding virtual education, not brick-and-mortar institutions.

PPE vending machines at the PHX airport

One group that is often overlooked when discussing faith and religion is paganism. Partly, this is because, as the article references, paganism is not uniformly defined like other religious groups and faiths. As a result, it is much more difficult to understand and see how various pagans are reacting to the pandemic. Nonetheless, this article briefly surveys various sects of paganism in many different countries. One common element for many who consider themselves pagan has been celebrating and practicing privately, while also meeting virtually.

Religions, having been around for millennia, have a unique history of dealing with various pandemics. This article, written by a Lutheran Christian, details the message of Christianity that has been preserved through the centuries. Specifically, according to Stone, Christians have always taught, even if not displayed, that one is to love and care for their neighbor, even to their own detriment. It is not reckless care, where someone may go care for their neighbor and then spread the virus; rather, it is being cautious, but also continuing to love for one’s neighbor.

Many people wonder about the benefits religion may or may not have during times of crisis. Is religion a crutch; or, is religion a legitimate way for people re-orient their lives and perspectives during times of crisis? This article from the American Psychology Association answers these questions. Depending on the person and their perspective of their religion, religion can be either positive or negative, perhaps even both at different times. As a result, the answer to the question is not a simple yes or no. However, even for the agnostic or the atheist, as the article describes, there are many religious and spiritual rituals one can engage with (e.g. yoga, meditation, etc.).

For my contribution, I would like to highlight one of the most publicized events that occurred during the first few months of COVID-19, the George Floyd killing and my actions to bring unity after. This incident put a spotlight on social issues that have been long swept under the rug, racism, racial violence and police brutality. During this time, members of the Air Force spoke out and initiated conversations about race, and racial disparities within our ranks.

This was just funny, imagine seeing something from your window calling the authorities in fear only for it to be a pastry.

Junji Ito, a Japanese master of Horror, reacts to online artists' work on an online interview being his usually quirky, few-worded self. Even midst a pandemic, all arts, even horror, are deeply loved, beloved, and shared as a facet of our culture.

The movie theater industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Theater chains like AMC have the ability to file for bankruptcy and scale back locations. For mom-and-pop movie theaters, however, there is no bankruptcy, so many face permanent closure.

I forgot my vaccine card to my second Moderna dose appointment at ASU. It's silly of me to forget about something so major. They asked if I had a photo of it and I thought they wanted it to prove I had received one. I did have a photo but I had covered the information on it for a picture for my story on instagram. They just waived me along and gave me my second dose anyway, they came to me about 5 minutes after my shot with a new vaccine card. Now I have two different vaccine cards, maybe one will be my future "travel id".

Disposable mask found along the north bank of rio salado, near the 202 loop and Priest.

Indigenous Rights Radio has posted interviews with Indigenous Peoples around the globe discussing COVID-19.

I know the vaccine isn’t a golden ticket. I know you can still contract COVID. I know we don’t really know yet if a vaccinated person can spread it (which is why my kids are still on Distance Learning). And I know there are at least 30 countries where not one person has been vaccinated. I do know all of this. However, somewhere in my subconscious I am relaxing. I have not had a boba from 85 Degrees in 13 months and though my husband did bring home a Starbucks for me recently, that was pretty much it for the past year. Today, I somehow ended up with both. During our lunch walk, my bestie asked if I wanted to walk to Starbucks. We haven’t done that in over a year and I have to be honest, it felt amazing. Even though while we walked there, we said snarky stuff like “remember how we’re in a worldwide pandemic?” it still felt sort of normal. Then, my husband decided to pick up bread on the way home from 85 Degree and brought me a grapefruit tea with lychee jelly. My tastebuds are so happy and I’m barely asking myself if the person who made the drink has COVID. So I must be relaxing. Then again, I sprayed my boba cup with Lysol before touching it and dumped my Starbucks into a mug and reheated it before I drank it, soooo maybe not.

My daughter has left our neighborhood less than five times in the past 13 months. I am not exaggerating. Now that the positivity rate in our area is 1.5%, we cautiously allowed my daughter to accompany me on a one mile run. You would have thought I’d taken her to Disney World. She was happier and more relaxed than she’s been in months. But she’s not a runner. She’s a competitive gymnast who hasn’t set foot in a gym in 13 months. She’s trained virtually with a gym in Northern CA and has worked out every single day. But we know it’s not the same. We also know that it’s time to create the team for the next season. It was time to contact her gym. We can keep promising she’s coming back but at what point is it just empty words? After a lot of prayer and internal debate, we texted her coach and said it’s time for her to come back. As you can see, she was initially scared at the idea, but that was quickly replaced by excitement when she found out she is really going back. But I have a pit in my stomach. Is it safe? Her coach isn’t vaccinated. Will my daughter be one of the children who contract it and have dire consequences? Or will her brother if she brings it home? How long can you keep a kid in a bubble? She already missed an entire season. Her mental health is so important, we know going back is going to be so amazing for that. But I am still so worried about the physical. One thing that this year has shown me is that I am an adult. I mean, obviously, I’ve been an adult for 22 years. But this year - protecting not only the safety of my children but my over 65 mom and in-laws. Advocating for the health of my students over politics. It’s like the pandemic has forced me to see that I can’t look to anyone to make adult decisions, it’s me. I’m the decision maker and these decisions can be life and death. I’m the adult. COVID has stripped that security we all had (probably foolishly). I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe again the way I did before this all began. So fingers crossed that my daughter’s journey back into competitive gymnastics is one that we can make safely.